Tension builds up. Everyone in the classroom got ready to sprint off. Outside the windows, the afternoon sun scorched the concrete paths and grasslands.The afternoon breeze brought into the classroom a pleasant scent of lavender. We gripped onto our bags, stared at the clock, already at the edge of your seats.
"Ding dong ding dong!" the school bell chimed. Cheers erupted all over the school. "Horray!" and "Yay!" filled the air, breaking the silence that was just prevalent mere seconds earlier. Like how after you blink, the star on the night sky you just looked at disappears. The class, though in separate groups, all dashed to the field.
The girls had setted down at one corner of the neighbourhood field, gossiping about the new love lines in the school, teasing each other about their secret crushes, promoting their favourite boy bands to each other without failing to say who was their personal favourite, going," I'll be his girlfriend one day."
The boys, being boys of course, picked up a soccer ball from my house and split into two teams. Kicking the ball here and there, scoring goals here and free kicks there. We were at the age when verbal insults were equivalent to friendship growing amongst friends. Occasional swearing and quarrelling here and there between some of us and some of the girls swooning over the handsome classmates.
Hours went by so fast. The blue skies were now painted black, with a white circle and numerous flickering dots decorating the skies. All was quiet. We could only hear the sound of the wind howling past us and the buzzing of the insects. Then, we let go. The sky was flooded by a sea of orange. "Yay! Horray! Mine flew the highest!" I heard from another corner of the field.
We released our sky lanterns. We spent days preparing, hours anticipating and minutes lighting the lantern. They flew and flew until only a speck of their orange glow remained. We all set off for our homes. We were all anticipating the next day, when we all gather together again. Sit together in school at the hall, celebrating the coming of the Lunar New Year.
Lights
Tension builds up. Everyone in the classroom got ready to sprint off. Outside the windows, the afternoon sun scorched the concrete paths and grasslands.The afternoon breeze brought into the classroom a pleasant scent of lavender. We gripped onto our bags, stared at the clock, already at the edge of your seats."Ding dong ding dong!" the school bell chimed. Cheers erupted all over the school. "Horray!" and "Yay!" filled the air, breaking the silence that was just prevalent mere seconds earlier. Like how after you blink, the star on the night sky you just looked at disappears. The class, though in separate groups, all dashed to the field.
The girls had setted down at one corner of the neighbourhood field, gossiping about the new love lines in the school, teasing each other about their secret crushes, promoting their favourite boy bands to each other without failing to say who was their personal favourite, going," I'll be his girlfriend one day."
The boys, being boys of course, picked up a soccer ball from my house and split into two teams. Kicking the ball here and there, scoring goals here and free kicks there. We were at the age when verbal insults were equivalent to friendship growing amongst friends. Occasional swearing and quarrelling here and there between some of us and some of the girls swooning over the handsome classmates.
Hours went by so fast. The blue skies were now painted black, with a white circle and numerous flickering dots decorating the skies. All was quiet. We could only hear the sound of the wind howling past us and the buzzing of the insects. Then, we let go. The sky was flooded by a sea of orange. "Yay! Horray! Mine flew the highest!" I heard from another corner of the field.
We released our sky lanterns. We spent days preparing, hours anticipating and minutes lighting the lantern. They flew and flew until only a speck of their orange glow remained. We all set off for our homes. We were all anticipating the next day, when we all gather together again. Sit together in school at the hall, celebrating the coming of the Lunar New Year.